An episode of "Your Hit Parade" from the 24th December 1955. This NBC series presented the cast performing covers of pop chart hits. This episode has excellent production values and one of the worst commercials of all time. Also one of the few episodes of this series with an actual guest star. Main Singers are Dorothy Collins, Snooky Lanson, Russell Arms, and Gisele MacKenzie.


This movie is part of the collection: Classic TV

Audio/Visual: sound, Black and White
Keywords: Classic TV; Television; 50s; 50's; 1950s; 1950's; Fifties; Christmas; Popular Music; Advertising; Dorothy Collins;

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

Individual Files

Write a review
Downloaded 7,405 times Reviews
Average Rating:

Reviewer: richgoup - - December 13, 2011
Subject: Your Hit Parade
Original air date: 24 December 1955.
Cast: Andra McLaughlin (Ice Skater), Gisele MacKenzie (Vocalist), Snooky Lanson (Vocalist), Russell Arms (Vocalist), Dorothy Collins (Vocalist), Raymond Scott (Band Leader), The Hit Parade Orchestra (Orchestra: uncredited), The Hit Paraders and Dancers (Dancers: uncredited) and Tad Tadlock (Dancer: uncredited).
A copy of this live episode with original commercials and network ID exists and circulates online.
From IMDB.

Reviewer: Joe MacCarthy - - December 7, 2011
Subject: Andra McLaughlin
The figure skater was Andra McLaughlin and she was (and still is) married to hockey legend Red Kelly.

Is it just me or is GMac the most underrated star in history. They don't make 'em like her anymore. She could do it all, especially that eyebrow thang!

Reviewer: rodneyhackenflash - - March 5, 2010
Subject: wonderful Christmas show
Giselle Makenzie sang the song HE!!! as if she were an Angel herself! That song alone may have guaranteed her a place in Heaven! The Short Black haired dancer is Wonderful! If she is not Carolynn Jones or Her sister Then Who in the World is SHE!!!

Reviewer: The_Emperor_Of_Television - - November 19, 2009
Subject: To be moved to Classic TV section (Some of the spelling issues mixed
I understand I shouldn't review my own items, but I want to add a few notes and some show content info.
The songs performed by the show cast on this episode are:
"Deck the Halls"
"Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing"
"Autumn Leaves"
"Memories Are Made of This"
"Love and Marriage"
"Moments to Remember"
"He"
"Christmas Medley"
"Sixteen Tons"
Another Christmas song, can't remember the title.

Generally, "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing", "Memories Are Made of This" and "Moments to Remember" come across the best, while a version of "Sixteen Tones" reminds us just how poor Snooky Lanson could be when he tried to sing anything even vaguely related to rock'n'roll.

I couldn't upload it in higher quality because I have a painfully slow Internet connection.

The products plugged are "Lucky Strike" and Richard-Hudnut's hair thing (probably their home-Permanent wave).

Singers in this episode are: Dorothy Collins, Snooky Lanson, Russell Arms, and Gisele MacKenzie.

An ice skater, I forget her name, appears as guest for a few moments.

According to Wikipedia, As of 19th November 2009, the only living cast member in this episode is Russell Arms.

This series was live, and hence a few mistakes here and there.

Again, I will warn that Snooky Lanson's attempt at singing "Sixteen Tons" is both stiff and awkward. Personally, I think Gisele MacKenzie might have done a better job.

On a side note, I am half-convinced "Design for Dreaming" star Thelma "Tad" Tadlock appears as a dancer in one or two of the segments. With kinescope picture quality, it is hard to say.

Oh yeah, this, if I remember right, this is missing the closing credits. But it does feature an unusual bumper!